UGC flays Gujarat for non-utilisation of funds for higher education

Vadodara, Oct 17 (UNI) University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Prof Sukhdeo Thorat today hit out at universities and colleges in Gujarat for not utilising funds allocated to them by UGC for promotion of higher education in the state.

''As far as UGC funds utilisation level is concerned, it is very poor in Gujarat as most of these institutions have failed to utilise a major portion of the funds provided to them for advanced research as well as improvement of their physical and academic infrastructure,'' he said.

Addressing the 55th annual convocation of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda today, Prof Thorat said it was now time for India to formulate an aggressive higher education policy and programme to bridge the huge gap in the enrolment ratio between India and other developed countries.

The UGC chairman said that though the gross enrolment ratio in higher education in India today had reached 13 per cent from a less than one per cent in 1951, the country was still way behind the world average of 23 per cent and 55 per cent in developed countries.

He also expressed serious concern over the inter-religion, inter-state, male-female and caste disparity in higher education in the country.

Prof Thorat underlined the urgent need for strengthening and increasing the number of public and private educational institutions and universities in a planned manner, with a view to giving equal opportunity to all those who want to pursue higher education.

Today, he said, there were 319 universities and 1,400 colleges in India which fall under the jurisdiction of UGC. But of these only nine universities and 100 colleges were recognised as institutions having potential of excellence.

Referring to the criticism over deteriorating quality of education, the UGC chief admitted that quality of higher education in India had been affected immensely due to appointment of a large number of ad hoc and temoporary teachers.

''We have to plan for revival of our universities by providing physical and academic infrastructure, good faculty, relevant education, library and modern technology in order to properly address to the most important issue of quality education,'' he said.

Later, Prof Thorat awarded gold medals to 186 degree and post-graduate students of the university.

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